ORDEAL AT SEA

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24370, 4 September 1942, Page 3

ORDEAL AT SEA

FLYING-BOAT CREW BRAVE CANADIAN PILOT CRASH OFF WEST AFRICA (Special Correspondent) (Reed. 0.30 p.m.) LONDON", Sept. 2 Hanging on to a dinghy's ropes or tied to the dinghy and floating with the aid of life-jackets, nine members of the crew of a Sunderland flying-boat which had crashed were cheered up by a Canadian flight-lieutenant. He was lying in the dinghy with a fractured spine while they spent three days in the sea 200 miles from West Africa. One of the men was Warrant-Officer Observer D. T. Shakes, of Wellington, who is now on leave in England none the worse for his ordeal. He said: "We were returning after patrolling over a convoy when all four engines cut out. The Sunderland immediately went straight down. Our Canadian skipper, Flight-Lieutenant E. J. Ennis, did a marvellous crash-landing in spite of a heavy swell. Pilot's Fractured Spin# "He had no option but to land in the trough of the waves. The 30-ton Sunderland bounced 150 ft. into -the air, then broke into three. The skipper fractured his spine in that crash, but in an amazing fashion he climbed out of the cockpit ou to the wing. "1 was at the navigator's table," said Warrant-Officer Shakes, "and 1 made immediately to the main-plane and then alt to get the dinghy. Afraid the explosives might go off, we only had time to get out one three-man dinghy and paddle oil' quickly with 10 out of 11 of the crew. The other man had been killed. We were a tew hundred yards from the living-boat when the explosives went up. The Sunderland disappeared in a lace of foam.. Tied to Dinghy

"Our dinghy," he continued, "was unable to bear the strain of a treble load and one of the compartments burst, so the remaining nine of lis got out and left the skipper- lying inside it. It was most fortunate that the second compartment held, otherwise we should have been goners. However, the sea was warm and those who had Mae Wests tied themselves up to the dinghy, and the others, of whom I was one, sat on the ropes hanging around the dinghy. We had no food except three tins of tomato juice. "We knew the base would send out a search for us when we did not arrive on scheduled time, yet- we were worried whether they would be able to work out our position, as we had not been able to send out a wireless message because of our rapid crash-land-ing. Sure enough we saw the Sunderland patrolling above us after nightfall with lights blazing, but we had nothing to answer with. Then followed a long, lonely night. The skipper, in spite of his pain, cheered us up. Aircraft's Search "Next morning we watched many aircraft searching, then late in the afternoon we saw a Hudson flying straight to us. We splashed and did everything we could to attract its attention. The skipper tried to flash his cigarette case. We stood up to wave a paddle. Suddenly we saw the Hudson's wing tilt and we knew we had been seen.

"It dropped food and four one-man dinghies and a note saying: 'Cheer up, lads, a Sunderland is on,the .way.' It also dropped distress signals and fresh water, but these sank. We did not know it then ( but the Sunderland had been following the Hudson until a storm sprang up between the two aircraft and it never arrived. "The Hudson then had to sheer off owing to a lack of petrol. Then the storm struck us. It poured with rain and the sea rose in a heavy swell, but it was not dangerous for us. When the storm slackened the _ Sunderland _ arrived, during the night, with lights blazing, but as we had no we were still unable to reply. That night one of the boys died of exposure. . Rescue by Destroyers "Next morning the visibility was poor. We saw three aircraft searching, but they could not see us. However, the same Hudson which had found us previously again sighted us and signalled: 'Destroyer on the way.' A few hours later two destroyers loomed up on the horizon and we were soon aboard. "I shall never forget," said WarrantOfficer Shakes, "the tremendous spirit of our Canadian skipper. He was terrific, in spite of his great pain. Toward the end he was not able to move. He is now in a plaster jacket r(.covering. We others did not feel much aftereffects. I was up in two days: The chief thing I wanted when I got aboard the destroyer was a good drink of tea. I drank six cups and never have I tasted better tea in all my life."

PRISONERS IN IRONS

GERMAN REPRISALS LONDON, Sept. 2

The German High Command, announced that it had ordered prisoners captured at Dieppe to be put in irons from to-morrow because a captured order reveals that the British ordered that German prisoners should be tied up to prevent the destruction of documents. This measure will be cancelled immediately the British withdraw their order to handcuff German prisoners.

The War Office has issued the following statement: " A German communique has stated that orders werfl given by the British in the Dieppe operations that prisoners' hands should be tied to prevent them destroying their papers. Investigations are being made as to whether in fact any such order was issued. It is categorically denied that any German prisoner has had his hands tied, and if any such order was issued it will be cancelled." HEAVY CARGO PLANES TRIAL OF KAISER PLAN NEW YORK, Sept.' a The War Production Board has determined that the Kaiser plan for the production of heavy cargo-carrying planes will be given a trial in spite of the Armed Services' reported antipathy, says the Washington correspondent of the New York Times. Informed officials assert that if aluminium is unprocurable because of Army and Navy priorities for combat planes, the War Production Board will experiment with steel board. They are likewise prepared to build cargo planes by sub-contracting sections in small shops all over the country, after which the Kaiser yards will assemble them. Mr. Henry J. Kaiser has been advocating the construction of heavy cargo planes to beat the submarine menace and speed up war transport. His plans were criticised as impracticable by Mr. J. H. Kindelberger, of the North American Aircraft Corporation. Mr. Kaiser announced shortly ' afterward that he had gone into partnership with Mr. Howard Hughes, a millionaire aeroplane designer, to build 500 transport planes.